Bloody good job: Medical lab techs combine science, skill in growing career field

Students tour medical lab to learn about in-demand career field
Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com

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Sauk Rapids-Rice High School senior Beth Kobluk uses a microscope to view a sample Friday, Jan. 19, during a tour of the St. Cloud Medical Group's Northwest Clinic medical lab in St. Cloud.(Photo: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com)Buy Photo

Sauk Rapids-Rice High School seniors Abby Swanson, Beth Kobluk and Lily Fuchs all aspire to enter the health care field.

But how certain they are about what they want to do on a day-to-day basis varies.

To explore one option — clinical and medical lab technician careers — the three students toured the lab at St. Cloud Medical Group's Northwest Clinic in January with the St. Cloud Times as part of the career development project called "Spark: Igniting Your Future."

"I've known that lab jobs were there, but I've never experienced them so I'm excited to see what it's actually like," Swanson said before the tour.

That's probably true of most patients — who know someone tests their blood/urine/throat swabs but has never seen the inside of the lab.

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Medical lab technicians Bob Feiler and Sadie Heaton talk about the procedure used in blood draws Friday, Jan. 19, during a tour of the St. Cloud Medical Group's Northwest Clinic in St. Cloud.(Photo: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com)

Patricia Leyk, lab supervisor for St. Cloud Medical Group, gave the students a glimpse at the growing field with the hands-on tour, which included up-close looks at testing equipment, bacteria samples and a blood draw.

"We are just kind of their eyes, and give them the answers to the questions they ask us," Leyk said.

At St. Cloud Medical Group, the most common substances tested include blood and urine, but the lab also tests vaginal, cervical, throat and nasal swabs. Samples of stool, phlegm, spinal fluid and joint fluid also are tested. And the lab can identify parasites and ticks, as well as fungus from skin scrapings.

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Examples of tests used are on display Friday, Jan. 19, during a tour of the St. Cloud Medical Group's Northwest Clinic in St. Cloud.(Photo: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com)

Becoming an MLT requires a two-year degree. Becoming a medical technologist, also called medical laboratory scientist, requires a four-year degree.

After the tour, the students said the job has more variety than they thought it would.

"I didn't know you could move around every day because of the different departments," Fuchs said.

Fuchs plans to study nursing at South Dakota State University. Swanson plans to study nursing at the University of Minnesota.

"It has more one-on-one with patients than I thought," Swanson said. "When I think of a lab, I think of a person sitting in a lab all day."

Leyk — along with medical lab technicians Sadie Heaton and Bob Feiler — told the students that some lab jobs allow for more patient interaction while others require technicians to spend more time in the lab performing tests.

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Sauk Rapids-Rice High School students observe as medical lab technician Sadie Heaton uses a microscope to check a sample Friday, Jan. 19, during a tour of the St. Cloud Medical Group's Northwest Clinic in St. Cloud.(Photo: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com)

"There are so many opportunities," Feiler said. "You can go from a really small clinic where you're mostly dealing with patients, or you can work in a big hospital lab where you won't even see a patient — the blood comes down from the floors. It depends on what you like."

"If you're only doing a test once a week, it's not worth bringing it in-house," Leyk said. "Those tests that we do on a daily basis that we have high volumes on, it's more economical to have an instrument here and bring it in-house."

St. Cloud Medical Group has two clinics in St. Cloud as well as clinics in Clearwater and Cold Spring.

Feiler works at the Clearwater lab, which is smaller than the St. Cloud sites. Feiler is also licensed to operate X-ray machines and conduct special tests such as electrocardiograms.

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Sauk Rapids-Rice High School senior Lily Fuchs checks a sample under a microscope Friday, Jan. 19, during a tour of the St. Cloud Medical Group's Northwest Clinic in St. Cloud.(Photo: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com)

Feiler attended Alexandria Technical and Community College for his MLT degree and St. Cloud State University for biology. He said he uses his two-year MLT degree for his career.

"Sometimes this is our base and you can branch out and get additional certifications as your specific job requires," Feiler said.

Feiler has worked at St. Cloud Medical Group a few different times in his career. He left to work in installation and field service for lab equipment, but returned to St. Cloud Medical Group about six months ago because he missed interacting with patients and colleagues, he said.

"(Feiler) is interesting because he has had other careers with his MLT," Leyk said.

"But I love this the most," Feiler chimed in. "I left for years and I wish I wouldn't have because I'm much happier here."

Heaton has worked at St. Cloud Medical Group for five years. She has a two-year MLT degree from Rasmussen College in St. Cloud.

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Medical lab technician Sadie Heaton holds a sample test plate up for students Friday, Jan. 19, during a tour of the St. Cloud Medical Group's Northwest Clinic in St. Cloud.(Photo: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com)

"I did not start out in this field. This is what I did go back to school for," Heaton said. "I got a two-year degree as a veterinary technician and I worked in that field for 10 years. Then I went back to school and got my lab tech degree and came here. I did a lot of lab work as a vet tech so I felt like I knew what I was getting into."

MLT degrees can also be used for jobs at companies that create samples for labs to use to check equipment accuracy.

"You're not just pigeon-holed into clinic or hospital," Leyk said. "If you get a laboratory science degree, you can work in research, you can work in industry."

There is a rising demand for medical and clinical lab technicians in Central Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, the lab technician occupation is projected to grow nearly 15 percent in the next 10 years. The area's median wage for lab technicians is about $46,000 a year.

Leyk said demand is increasing, in part, due to technology advancements, growth in the medical field in general, and because many baby boomers in the field will be looking to retire in the coming years.

Kobluk, who is interested in a medical career but not sure what, said she liked the learning aspect of the job, as well as the work environment itself.

"I really like the positive energy and the vibe this place gives," she said. "It's definitely a place I would want to work."

Because MLT degrees are often transferable — and can be a base for other degrees and licenses in the medical field — Feiler encouraged the students to consider the two-year degree if they are unsure what path to take out of high school.

"If you're interested, start the two-year and see if you like it," he said.

Spark: Igniting Your Future is a Times Media project shedding light on career options.(Photo: Times image)

Take the tour

Learn more about the St. Cloud Medical Group jobs that Sauk Rapids High School students heard about during their January tour. Watch video of the tour at www.sctimes.com.

Health care open house Feb. 26

To learn more about the Medical Laboratory field and other vital health-care careers, attend Rasmussen College's Health Career Open House at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26 at the college's St. Cloud campus, 226 Park Avenue S, St. Cloud. For more information, please visit: https://facebook.com/events/137897163682302/.

Coming Monday: A laboratory supervisor from St. Cloud Medical Group in St. Cloud offers advice on medical and clinical lab technician careers.